You're Nothing Short of My Everything
by brandnewstart
Summary: [Hiatus] What if Wade hadn't acted like his night with Zoe on The Big Day had been just about sex and decided to make his feelings clear and fight for her? After all, love is not who you can see yourself with, it is who you can't see yourself without.
1. Nothing Worth Having Ever Comes Easy

Hello there! Haven't been writing in a while, but I'm so addicted to Hart of Dixie this season I actually _needed_ to write something new, so here it is. To be honest, I have no idea where this story is going to be headed, I'm just writing as it comes to me, but I hope you will find it interesting and even original maybe as it will go on. The title, which I absolutely love if I may say so myself, is a quote from Ralph Block. Please keep in mind English is not my first language so I apologize in advance for any possible grammatical mistake, feel free to point them out if you spot any so I can correct them.

Enjoy the reading and review to let me know what you think of this chapter. 'Til next time! :)

* * *

To an outsider, it would have been just another sunny day in Bluebell, but truth was, there was barely any outsider in Bluebell. And that was certainly for the best.

There was something to small towns like Bluebell, that made them cozy only to those who had grown up there or had lived there their whole lives. To others, others that weren't silly families on a summer holiday, it was, to put it nicely, the closest thing to being that one kid in high school everyone scoffed at or hated. Zoe Hart knew that much.

And not anymore, was she only the sophisticated New York doctor with her fancy dresses and fancy talks, she was the official reason why the town's golden couple had just called off their wedding, and not in a rather nice way. The bride had been left at the altar, whoops.

It was close to ten in the morning, and Zoe was sneaking out of her own carriage house, leaving a blissfully naked Wade behind, sleeping soundly in her bed, oblivious to a big part of what had actually happened the night before.

She still hadn't quite wrapped her mind around the fact that George had called off his wedding with Lemon. _For her_. She would be lying if she said the idea of finally being with George didn't thrill her beyond words, but she would also be lying if she said George was still the only man in the equation for her. She wasn't the one-night stands kinda girl, what had happened with Wade the night before _mattered_ to her – but did it matter to him as well?

Entering Lavon's house, she sighed, closing her eyes. Her head was starting to hurt, there was too much to process and too little time to do just that. She wanted to be honest with both George and Wade, she had a choice to make, but she had no intention to take it lightly or hurriedly. She knew, that could be _the_ choice.

Lavon was already in the kitchen, making pancakes. As soon as he noticed Zoe, he eyed her with a mischievous glint in his brown orbs. "Morning, morning."

Zoe approached him warily, sitting on one of the stools at the table. She didn't greet him back, just let her head fall into her hands, arms propped up on the counter, her elbows barely sustaining her. "I made a mess, Lavon."

"Hey, come on now, big Z," Lavon tried to reassure her, making his way to his friend, hugging her shoulders with a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry about what them people will have to say, you deserve to be happy. And if Lavon Haynes says it, it must be true – he's the Mayor after all."

Zoe laughed quietly at her best friend's antics. Finally, she looked up at him. "Problem is, I don't know _who_ makes me really happy anymore."

The Mayor's eyebrows knitted in confusion, and Zoe was quick to explain, "I slept with Wade last night. And then George came to," she exhaled like it was going to be her last breath. "To tell me he couldn't get married, _because of me_, and he kissed me. I honestly don't know what to do." She admitted in defeat, a pleading look in her eyes as if her best friend could give her the answer to all of her problems.

"I see," said Lavon, sitting on the stool next to her. "So, you have feelings for both of them?"

Zoe nodded, running a hand through her messy, dark hair. "I would have never expected for something like this to happen," she shook her head, on the verge of tears. "I _didn't want _it to happen, for Pete's sake! I feel like a stupid sixteen-year-old who can't decide which one of her crushes she likes more! I'm supposed to be a freaking grown-up, I shouldn't be finding myself in this kind of situations, I should-I should," she couldn't go on. She bit down on her bottom lip, she didn't want to cry, that would have just made matters worse. She didn't want to be weak, or distraught. She had never meant for any of that to happen, and she hated herself for not knowing what to do, how to fix it.

Lavon kept quiet beside her, taking one of her small pale hands in one of his much bigger and darker ones as Zoe let her head rest on his broad shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

Still half asleep in the carriage house, Wade began to stir, a content smile on his face as the previous night's events came back to him just like a dream. But the smile quickly turned into a frown as he opened his eyes only to find out Zoe wasn't beside him on the bed anymore.

He propped himself up, looking around at the scattered clothes on the bedroom's floor, a grin making its way to his lips. He knew, though, that that night with Zoe meant a whole lot more than just sex on a stormy night. For the first time, he had _made love_ to someone.

Sighing, he got up from the bed, putting on his dress shirt from the night before and his boxers. Zoe's perfume still lingered on his skin, she smelled like hope, home, and like flowers on a happy day.

Looking at his tie and jacket on the floor, he couldn't help the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach – had Zoe finally given in to him only because George had gotten married? He sighed, 'of course she did'.

Wade quickly collected all of his belongings and left the carriage house, swiftly making his way to the gatehouse to take a shower and throw on some proper clothes.

He was just about to finally enter his bathroom when his cellphone started to ring. For a moment, he considered ignoring it – the only person he wanted to talk to was Zoe, and surely she would have just stopped by if she wanted to talk to him – but he eventually picked up, not caring to check the caller.

"Yes?" Wade huffed – he just wanted to change and go over to Zoe's already. He wanted to make sure she finally understood that he _liked_ her, that what had happened between them just a couple of hours ago had been about more than just sexual frustration for him, he wanted to make sure that they were on the same page.

"Hey man," a cheerful George Tucker spoke from the other end of the line.

"George?" Wade asked, unsure. Wasn't he supposed to be somewhere hot and expensive for his honeymoon? Maybe he was calling because Wade _had_ ditched the wedding last night after all. "Look, man, sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding-"

"Don't worry," George cut in, not letting him finish. "Actually, there was no wedding." He admitted, his tone giddy and almost proud as if he was expecting to receive some sort of trophy for that.

"Ah, hum, _sorry_?"

George sighed. "Wade. I couldn't go through with it, man." He explained, and eventually his voice held a hint of sadness and remorse.

Wade smiled bitterly. "_Zoe_." He spat, shaking his head. Trust George Tucker to always get in the middle of things just when they were starting to look bright for him.

"Yeah... anyway, just wanted to tell you. Was hoping you'd be on my side at least, half of the town hates me." George laughed, but there was no trace of real humor in his voice.

Wade was at a loss for words. He wanted to be angry at George for being a first-grade cunt and not only pretty much breaking Lemon's heart, but wanting to make his way back into Zoe's life just when he was helping her forget all about him. But still, they had been best friends since forever and he couldn't find it in himself to be really mad at him. He sighed, briefly wondering if Zoe had heard about the wedding already, but deep down he already knew, 'of course she did'.

"We'll talk later, alright George? Gotta go now." He blurted out, not waiting for any answer from George and disconnecting the call.

He stayed still for a couple of minutes which felt like an eternity, and then went to sit on his couch. He felt like throwing up. Why couldn't anything ever go the right, easy way in his life? All the happy feelings from just a few minutes ago had disappeared, and all that was left was disappointment. Not anger, or rage, just disappointment. He had lost something before it even ever was his.

He ran a hand through his messy hair, trying to reason with himself. There was no way Zoe hadn't felt at least a thousandth of what he had last night, of that he was sure. The way they kissed and held each other... it _had_ to mean something.

In his entire life, he had never felt like that with somebody else before, it never felt that _right_. And he wasn't willing to give that all up just because George had suddenly decided maybe the girl he had spent fifteen freaking years of his life with wasn't good enough for him anymore.

Maybe Wade Kinsella wasn't the right man for Zoe Hart, but he without a doubt knew George Tucker wasn't either. And if she wasn't willing to admit that to herself, he was going to make her see it. For the first time in his life, Wade Kinsella was going to fight for what he wanted, he was going to fight for his own happiness. It was time to be a little selfish, he thought, he had the right to.

Part of him felt almost relieved then, he wasn't going to just sit aside and watch George and Zoe live their happily ever after, but he wasn't going to end up being her rebound man either. If he and Zoe were really meant for each other like he hoped they were, then it was going to be because she wanted it just as much as he did.

So maybe making his way into Zoe's heart wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped it would, but then again, nothing worth having ever comes easy.


	2. Honest People Don't Hide Their Deeds

Greatest thanks to the ones who reviewed, favorited or started following the story, you have no idea how much it really means to me, so thank you. I have to say, this chapter came to me fairly easily and if I can get a little smug here, I absolutely love how it turned out, so I'm probably (just a tad) over-excited to know your opinion on it! Please please _please_ keep/start reviewing, I'd like to have maybe around ten reviews before posting my next chapter?

Anyway, enjoy the reading and I hope you have nice day ahead! :)

– PS. Sorry to those who got the new update e-mail last night, I was trying to edit some stuff and messed it up, typical me. Sorry again.

* * *

Wade entered Lavon's kitchen with no uncertainty, not faltering once at the sight of Zoe already sitting at the table with an untouched bowl of cereals in front of her.

She turned her head as soon as she heard the click of the door, smiling weakly at Wade, her eyes downcast – how was she going to tell him about George?

Wade could very well sense her distress and went to sit beside her on one of the stools. He looked down at her, as she carefully avoided his eyes, already feeling the tears threatening to fall.

Neither of them moved or spoke for a few moments, until Zoe finally gathered her courage. "Wade-"

He shook his head lightly, closing his eyes as he took one of her hands in both of his, turning on the stool to look at her and forcing her to do the same.

"I know about the wedding."

Zoe nodded faintly, still not daring to look into Wade's forest green orbs. They both kept silent for some more seconds. "George, he-he came to tell me last night, while you and I," she gulped, gesturing between her and Wade with her hands.

"Alright," Wade said slowly. Of course that bugged him, and he felt annoyed that Zoe hadn't just told him that last night and instead decided to leave him out of the loop, but he could see why she would do that, and he knew that getting angry wasn't going to help his cause by any mean – he needed to stay calm in order to have her give him a chance.

Zoe still looked pained though, and wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Hey," he whispered, gently caressing Zoe's cheek. He wasn't used to be sweet or romantic to girls, but when he was with Zoe, everything just came naturally to him.

Zoe raised her eyes to meet Wade's intense gaze. "He kissed me, Wade." She confessed, feeling extremely guilty. "I-I know I shouldn't have let it happen, but I mean, he's _George_, and-and I don't know what you're feeling, I mean, I don't even know if you actually_ feel_ anything for me because I know that you-I mean, I don't wanna assume-I," she sighed, nervously running a hand through her hair. By then, she was shaking and breathing heavily, getting more agitated by the second.

Wade was shocked to say the least, he felt betrayed and disappointed to apprehend that Zoe had let George kiss her last night, right after everything that had happened between them, right after they had ultimately and completely opened and shared themselves with one another. He wanted to yell at her, he wanted to yell at George, and most of all, he wanted to yell at himself for getting so caught up in a girl, but again, he knew that would have been of no use.

It didn't go unnoticed that she had given him an easy way out, admitting that she didn't know how he felt, leaving him the option to say that it _had_ only been about sex after all, and that he had no interest in fighting with George over her. For a second, he considered taking it. People don't change overnight after all, and if there was something everyone knew about Wade Kinsella was that he was always going to take the easy way out if he could find one.

He let that moment of weakness pass, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and pinching the bridge of his nose. It took him a few minutes to be calm enough – surely not _fully_ calm – to be able to speak again. "I_ do feel _something for you, Zoe," he admitted. Zoe's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at Wade almost adoringly. "I'm not going to lie again, and I'm not going to lie and say I'm pleased you didn't tell me about George coming over and, _kissing_ you," he continued, his voice trembling as he stressed over the kissing part. "I'm willing to fight for you, but only if you're sure I actually stand a chance, and that this isn't only a phase you already know will eventually just lead you to choosing George."

Zoe stood there, eyes wide open and mouth agape, amazed at Wade's confession. She couldn't fight the bright smile that made its way to her lips. They looked intensely at each other for a few never-ending moments, before Zoe cleared her throat and vehemently shook her head.

"It isn't," she assured him. "It's not like I can promise you anything, but I wanna give it, _us_, a chance."

Wade nodded, smiling tenderly at Zoe, and leaning down to gently rest his forehead against hers. "Does it mean I get to kiss you while you're still figuring things out, or not?"

Zoe blushed under Wade's burning stare, helplessly trying to avoid looking into his eyes – she knew she would have lost it otherwise. She bit down on her bottom lip. "I'm not sure that would be fair," she murmured, not sounding nearly enough convincing.

"Mh-mh," Wade grinned, descending on Zoe's lips nonetheless, cupping her face between his hands.

It started off as just a peck, then Wade took Zoe's bottom lip between his own, entwining his hands in her dark hair. Zoe's fingers clutched the collar of Wade's shirt tightly, bringing him impossibly closer to her as she whimpered against his lips and he smiled into the kiss. She willingly parted her lips under his, and Wade wasted no time in deepening the kiss, lovingly and slowly.

When they felt their lungs screaming for air, they both parted simultaneously but reluctantly, breathing heavily against each other's mouth.

Wade could feel Zoe's heart beating uncontrollably against his own chest, and he was dying to ask her if George's kisses made her feel that flustered too; but he knew it wasn't the right question or the right time, and he also wasn't quite sure he could eventually bear her answer.

Zoe's lips were swollen, her hair messy and her cheeks flushed, and Wade couldn't help but smile at his handiwork, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb and brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

She leaned towards him and rested her head on his shoulder, as he trailed his hands up and down her spine. "Would you have ever imagined us ending up like this?" she asked in a hushed tone, her breath tickling his neck.

He restrained himself from retorting that that was far from the end for them, that they had yet to overcome the biggest obstacle, that their end could play out to be much sourer and much sadder, but he was willing to forget all about George Tucker for the time being.

Instead, he didn't reply anything, just kissed the top of her head and smiled into it.

The stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, until Zoe eventually sighed. "I should go, have tons of work to do." Wade let his arms fall from around her waist and she stood up from the stool. "Do you think Brick's gonna want to kill me? I _did_ kinda ruined his daughter's lif-_huh_," she exhaled, catching herself. "Sorry, shouldn't be talking about this to you," she smiled sadly at Wade.

"It's alright, Doc," he reassured her, putting one of Lavon's pancakes in his plate. "Guess George still doesn't know?"

He didn't need to explain any further, she knew he meant about _them_. "No," she answered, eying him warily – did he really want to have that conversation?

Neither of them spoke for a few moments. "Am I gonna ruin your friendship?" Zoe eventually asked tentatively, it was a doubt she had been playing around with the whole morning.

In all honesty, Wade didn't know how to answer to that. He had known George his whole life and loved him dearly, but that was Zoe they were talking about, and he knew, deep down, he would have never forgiven his best friend if she ended up choosing him instead.

"Don't go worrying your pretty little head about it, Doc," he replied. "Go save the world now, and I'll see you for lunch?"

Zoe smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically. "You'll swing by the practice?" She really didn't feel like eating at the Rammer Jammer or anywhere else where she knew she would have been surrounded by prying stares.

"On half past one on the dot," he promised, winking.

They smiled at each other once more and then Zoe left to go get dressed for work.

She arrived at the practice a little after eleven that morning. She knew she was terribly late, but over the months she had come to understand how the population of Bluebell worked and therefore she also knew most of the people would have rather die than come and see her that day – hussy homewrecker, remember?

"Oh, _you_, thank God!" Addy exclaimed from behind the counter as soon as Zoe had closed the door behind her, exasperation clear in her voice and in the agitated movements of her hands. "Brick called and said he's not coming in today, for all the post-non-wedding drama, and I was starting to think you were going to bail as well, young lady!"

Zoe laughed. "No can do, Addy. Where else would I go today, I was surprised people weren't waiting with pitchforks outside my house this morning."

Addy rolled her eyes, and the sighed. "Well, it's a good thing you showed up anyway, because you've got a visitor." Confusion took over Zoe's face. "George, _Tucker_, is waiting for you in your office." Addy explained pointing towards Zoe's office's door, her tone somehow disapproving.

Zoe's lips shaped into an appalled _"Oh,"_ but she couldn't really be _that_ surprised. She knew she was going to have to confront George as well eventually, and what time was better than the present? She was going to be thoroughly clear and sincere with him, telling him about Wade and the fact that she was torn between the feelings she had for the two of them, there was nothing to be ashamed of, and she knew that. She was an honest woman, and honest people don't hide their deeds.


	3. Nothing Can Ever Shake a Smiling Heart

Alright, is it weird that I never know exactly what to write in my author's note? I mean, I know I'm not forced to write it or anything, but it just feels really odd not to so I'm just sitting here rambling andddd, yeah. Anyway, I took part of the actual Zoe/George's conversation from _I Fall to Pieces_ for this chapter, plus I kinda gave Wade's line _"George... Tucker. The same George Tucker that I know?"_ from _Walkin' After Midnight_ to George asking about Zoe's newly found relationship with Wade, just wanted to point that out, in case anyone ends up thinking that I think I made that up when I know I didn't... if that makes any sense – lol.

Enjoy the reading and review, review, review! ;)

* * *

Zoe timidly entered her office, peeping inside with her head first. "Hey there," she said, almost in a whisper, gaining George's attention, whose back was turned to the door as he gazed out of the window, lost in his own thoughts.

Hearing her, he swiftly turned in her direction, a blinding smile on his lips that – she noticed – still couldn't quite reach his eyes. "Hey yourself."

She smiled shyly up at him, as he approached her slowly, gathering her in his arms. She gently put her hands on his forearms and looked down at where their bodies touched. Neither of them said anything.

"A penny for your thoughts?" tried George, a smile on his freshly shaved face, after several minutes of silence.

Zoe sighed, stepping out his embrace and running a hand through her hair. "We need to talk, George."

George looked down at her, not able to completely hide his disappointment as she distanced herself from him even further. "What is there to talk about? I _called_ off my wedding for you. T_hat's what they call a ____grand romantic gesture_." He smirked.

Zoe shook her head – it was going to be harder than she thought, wasn't it? "It's not _that_ simple, George." She pointed out, almost scoldingly. Even if Wade hadn't been in the picture, did he really expect her to run right into his arms after everything that he had put her through? She deserved better than that, she deserved an explanation. _Hell_, she deserved an apology even. "You've been with Lemon for _fifteen_ years, I would hope it's going to take you more than a couple of hours to get over her."

George looked taken aback by Zoe's harsh words. "I thought-I thought that's what you wanted too?" he murmured, his expression pained. Zoe immediately felt sorry for having been so though on him, but she couldn't reply fast enough that he went on. "_But_, you're right. I want to respect Lemon and what we had, but I just really _really_ want to be with you, Zoe Hart." He admitted, giving her one of his charming lopsided smiles.

She nodded, backing-off a few steps as George tried to approach her again. "Yeah, see, _that_ might be another problem," she said, laughing dryly and looking down at her feet, _anywhere_ to avoid George's dejected eyes, as his eyebrows knitted in confusion and he looked over at Zoe expectantly.

"What do you mean?"

Sighing, Zoe figured the sooner she got the truth out, the better – just like it worked with those band-aids she used so much with her patients. "Last night, when you-when you came over to my house," she started, daring to look up at George for a second as he nodded for her to continue. "I wasn't alone, I was with Wade." She rushed out, closing her eyes and bracing herself for George's reaction.

The man stood there shocked, mouth agape. "With _Wade_-the same Wade that _I know_?" Zoe nodded, and George kept quiet for a few seconds. "Mh. When you-when you mean you _were_ with him, you mean-"

"That we slept together." Zoe clarified.

"Alright. And you've got feelings for him?" he asked, fearing what her answer might be.

Zoe started fidgeting nervously with her hands. "I think, yeah-I mean, I don't know? I'm confused."

George nodded slowly, trying to process what she was telling him. "Because you've still got feelings for me too, right?" he asked, hopeful.

"Of course I do!" Zoe was quick to answer, feeling almost outraged that he would doubt her like that. "I just need some time to figure things out."

George scoffed. "How can you have feelings for two different people at the same time?" he lashed out angrily. That was a side of George she wasn't used to see or deal with it.

Zoe gasped, raising her eyebrows at him – he _did not_ just say that. "You _have not_ just said that! Oh God, _you_ of all people!"

George realized his mistake. "Damn, _no_! I mean-that's not what I meant-I-"

"I think you should leave now George," Zoe stated as calmly as she could, she didn't have the time or the strength to get angry at him, even though she would have gladly punched him in the face right then and there.

He nodded, gulping and looking down at the ground. He knew trying to apologize then would have been useless, so he opted for the next best thing. "I could come back for lunch?" he suggested, hope written all over his face.

"I'm having lunch with Wade, actually," Zoe answered confidently, surprisingly feeling neither guilt nor remorse at the sight of George's sad eyes somehow judging her.

"I see, dinner maybe?" he tried.

"Dinner's fine," she nodded, and eventually a smile made its way to her lips. "Seven-thirty at my place? I don't really feel like going out, you know," she added in a low voice, her eyes downcast.

"Sure," George answered, he understood what she meant because he felt just the same. "I'll be there." He looked down at her tenderly, raising one of his hands to trace down her cheek gently, before leaving her office in two long strides.

Zoe heard him uttering his goodbyes to Addy and then swiftly closing the door behind him. Once she was sure he had left, she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

Like she had predicted, nobody came to visit her at the practice that day, and she lost herself among financial documents and useless papers, a nice distraction from the recent events.

A gentle knock at the door startled her at just a bit after one o'clock.

"Can I come in?" Wade's timid voice asked from outside her door.

Zoe couldn't help but smile, as she left her desk and went to let Wade in. "Hi," she greeted him shyly.

Wade's wide smile mirrored hers as soon as he saw her, leaning down to kiss her tenderly on the forehead, lingering there for a few seconds.

"I brought nourishment!" he exclaimed in a laugh, and Zoe couldn't help but join in his enthusiasm.

She freed her desk from the various papers and they both laid down a tablecloth and the food. "You really thought of everything, haven't you?" she asked, almost to herself, looking down at the nice bottle of red wine and the ridiculously good looking apple tart.

Wade smirked, blushing slightly. "Shall we?" Zoe nodded shyly, and Wade pulled one of the chairs out for her, gently pushing it back into place as soon as she was seated. Then, he moved the other chair around the desk so that he could sit beside her rather than in front of her. They smiled at each other and started eating.

"I saw George," Zoe admitted. "I mean, he was waiting here for me when I arrived."

Wade nodded slowly. He couldn't say he was happy to hear that, of course, but he knew Zoe was going to have to see George as much as she was going to see him. She _did_ have a choice to make after all, and he didn't want her to take it lightly.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"Not much," Zoe shrugged. "He was being a bit arrogant actually, about the whole calling off his wedding thing," she let out a humorless laugh. "I told him about us, and he was, well, angry."

"Can't blame him. At least I knew what I was getting myself into," Wade pointed out, taking a bite of his ravioli. "The guy probably thought he'd find you waiting for him to sweep you off your feet – no offense."

Zoe chuckled. "I suppose." She sighed, playing around with the pasta in her plate. "I'm having dinner with him tonight." She paused for a moment, looking at Wade out of the corner of her eye. "At my place."

Wade tensed beside her, his jaw clenching. "Alright," he answered through gritted teeth. "You're having lunch with me, so I guess that's only fair." He added after a few seconds.

Zoe nodded slowly, and then neither of them uttered a word for several minutes, both looking down at the food in front of them without eating.

"At your place, hum?" The pain in Wade's voice and on his face was evident, and Zoe instantly felt terribly guilty.

"Nothing's going to happen," she said quietly, but she knew, deep down, she couldn't really make that promise.

Wade didn't want to fight with her, but he couldn't quite hold himself back either. "You can't be sure, Doc. If I were to came over at your place for dinner, _in this situation_, I'm pretty sure I'd try to make something happen. Just saying." He shrugged, almost as if the matter wasn't of that great importance anyway, but they both knew how important it really was.

Zoe didn't say anything for the longest time, and then suddenly, she let her head fall into her hands. A muffled _"Oh God,"_ came out of her throat between the sobs of her unshed tears. "I really am a-a-"

"Hey, _no_, don't even think that, Doc, alright," Wade reproached her tenderly, prying her hands away from her face and cradling her gently in his arms. "It's not like that, and we both know that," he reminded her, wiping away some of her tears with his thumb and sweetly combing her hair behind her ears with his other hand.

"But, how is it going to look to everybody else? _Me_, going out with _you_, and then with _him_!" she bawled hopelessly, holding onto his shoulders for dear life.

Wade shook his head slowly. "It doesn't matter. Not now."

Zoe nodded. "One thing at a time," she murmured after several minutes, sniffing.

He smiled up at her, gently holding her face in between his hands. "Exactly."

They were so _so_ close, Zoe couldn't help but slowly lean down just a little bit more to meet his lips with hers. He caged her into his arms lovingly, rocking her back and forth as they both smiled into the kiss.

Eventually, Zoe was the first one to break away, no sign of tears or sadness on her face anymore. "Come on, we should probably eat now." She said with a coy smile, sitting back on her chair. Things were still far from perfect or even just okay, but for the time being, she was happy with what she had, and she was ready to face whatever fate was going to throw her way, because nothing can ever really shake a smiling heart.


	4. There Are No Safe Choices

Alright, I gotta say, I'm feeling somehow annoyed and upset right now because I wrote most of this chapter while I was at school (on free periods, I swear – well, kind of), and therefore it was written on paper and it looked like a _really_ long chapter and I was very satisfied with it, like seriously super proud of how it had turned out, and then I came home and copied it on Writer and I was like _whaaaat?_ and I had to add some things that were actually meant for the next chapter at first, and it's not nearly as long as I would have liked it to be – it's actually pretty short, which I apologize for – but whatever. See it as a filler chapter, or something like that – lol. I've got a few ideas for this story that I'm really excited about, and I have it all planned out in my head already, so I hope you'll be pleased with them just as much as I am.

Anywayyyyy, end of the boring author's note. Enjoy the reading and don't forget to drop me a review! ;)

* * *

The rest of the day at the practice went on uneventfully, but Zoe couldn't quite concentrate on the millions of bank statements scattered on her desk anymore.

Wade's hurt expression as she told him about her date with George later that night was permanently sealed in her memory, and she couldn't help but feel guilty about it.

She knew very well there was no reason for her to, she had felt no guilt whatsoever towards George about her lunch plans with Wade, but still, knowing that didn't change the way she was feeling.

Furthermore, Wade lived just across from her, and that made her extremely nervous. She was going to feel his eyes on her from across the pond for the whole night, knowing he was probably going to wait for George to leave her house before going to bed himself. It was one messy situation.

She considered moving the date elsewhere, but that would have meant subjecting herself to Bluebell's prying, judging and disapproving eyes, and that certainly wasn't something she was looking forward to – she felt dirty enough as it was. She even thought about having dinner at George's place instead, but quickly mentally smacked herself in the head as she realized how bad of an idea that would have been.

Ultimately, she decided that staying at her place, knowing Wade was just a few feet away, could have actually ended up being a good thing: surely, she wouldn't have completely given in to George knowing how deeply Wade was hurting knowing they were together. Knowing that in that moment he was so close and yet terribly far.

Zoe looked up at the ancient grandfather clock on the wall right in front of her – without her realizing it, it was already past five in the afternoon.

She sighed, starting to collect her things and putting them in her oversized leather bag, purposely doing so as slowly as she could, not quite ready to leave the safety of her tranquil office just yet.

Not feeling like doing the walk of shame through town, she called Lavon to ask if he could come and pick her up – she could have really used her best friend in that moment.

"Big Z, you've got nothing to be ashamed of," Lavon reminded her, noticing his friend's hopeless gaze out of the corner of his eye, instead fixated on the bouncy road.

Zoe laughed humorlessly, and then sighed, resting her head against the cool window of the car. "I'm not so sure."

"_Oh no_, we've already talked about this," he reproached her lightly, humming his disapproval.

"_I know_, but you can't exactly blame me for feeling like shit about all of this, Lavon," she answered somberly, shaking her head and letting a couple of strands of her dark hair fall to cover her sad eyes. "I know I'm being selfish, and I wish I could not be, but," she shook her head. "I can't help it."

Lavon looked over at her and smiled sympathetically, which only made her feel even worse for herself.

Unsure on what exactly she wanted to say, Zoe opened but then closed her mouth a couple of times, before finally mustering up all of her courage and speaking. "The truth is that I can't expect them to wait around for me to make up my mind forever," her voice was shaking, just like her pale hands fidgeting on her lap. "Yes, they're okay with it _now_, but who knows-I mean, I have no idea how long it's going to take me," she paused for a second, her throat tightening. "I'll probably end up losing them both, and I'd deserve that." By then, her bottom lip was quivering, and she couldn't fight the single tear that rolled down her eye and wetted her right cheek anymore.

Lavon felt terribly anguished and useless – he hated seeing his best friend so confused and upset, knowing that no matter how much or how hard he tried, there was nothing he could really do to help her sort things out.

The two remained silent for some time, then Lavon cleared his throat – yes, there was nothing he could do for her, but there was definitely something he could say, something he had wanted to say all along. The choice was Zoe's to make and he didn't want to jeopardize that, but he figured throwing in his two cents wouldn't hurt in the end. "Look, Zoe, we both know I might be a tad partial here, but I just-I have to tell you how I really see it."

Zoe turned to him with a questioning look, and he continued. "Maybe it's going to sound silly to you, but there's this quote. By Johnny Depp," he eyed her, her in all her scrunched up nose and skeptical eyes.

"So, in the middle of my major love drama, you're quoting _Johnny Depp_?" she joked.

Lavon rolled his eyes and smirked. "Just-just ya hear me out, alright?" Zoe nodded and he sighed. "There's this quote, _about love_-"

"I _don't_," she drew in a sharp breath, interrupting him. "I don't _love_ them." She corrected him resolutely.

"I told you to just listen. It says – _If you love two people at the same time, choose the second; because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second_." He recited solemnly, his face serious.

Zoe raised her eyebrows in confusion and wrinkled her forehead, shaking her head at him. "I don't get you, I thought you meant you were biased towards _Wade_. But that actually sounds a lot like what _George_ did, calling off his wedding for me?" Did she really need to remind him of that?

It was Lavon's turn to shake his head – how could she be so blind? "Maybe it does. But doesn't it sound a bit like what you're doing right now too? With _Wade_?" the mayor pointed out, raising his eyebrows at her.

Zoe opened her mouth but no sound came out of it.

"Look, I'm not saying you should forget about George or that you and Wade are meant to be, alright? What I mean is that you obviously found things in Wade that you couldn't find in George, or in any other man."

"_Of course_ I did, Lavon! George was getting _married_!" Zoe retorted, eyes wide.

"No, Big Z," he shook his head again, sighing. "I get that you think George is this-I don't know, big prince charming of yours or whatever but life ain't a fairytale. It's gonna be no bed of roses, so you need to understand who you _really_ wanna spend what could be the rest of your life with. Who's the one you're willing to look past all of your doubts and change your life for. And I'm sure, if you'll look inside your heart intently enough, you'll realize you've made that choice long ago already."

By then, they had arrived at the plantation, but Zoe just kept sitting there, in the passenger seat of the car, trying to process Lavon's words, feeling somewhere between the amazed and the shocked. She knew he was right – he hardly wasn't – but truly looking inside herself and her heart couldn't possibly be as easy as he had made it sound, right?

She ended up having to hurry up getting dressed and making dinner – which meant heating up in the microwave one of those expensive boxes of weird-looking pasta her mother sent her every month from New York – before George arrived.

Lavon's words had really struck a chord in her, and she was more confused than ever. She couldn't have possibly made her choice without realizing it, could she? No, she wasn't that kind of person. She was _Zoe Hart_, over-thinker and overachiever, she didn't make reckless, unconscious decisions, she didn't act on the spur of the moment or did things only for the sake of it. Her life was a series of cautious and pondered choices, agreed between her head and her heart, and _alright_, maybe the latter tended to submit itself to the former a tad too frequently, but rightly so. The heart should never be trusted with enough power to make a decision on its own, it was too dangerous, and Zoe Hart didn't do dangerous. _No_, Zoe Hart liked safe, she _loved_ safe actually, which was just as stupid as loving dangerous, if not more, but she couldn't see it.

Nobody ever realizes it actually, but those who only play safe are the ones who end up risking the most, because they just don't see that in reality, there are no safe choice. Only _other_ choices.


	5. Wishes Are Only Granted in Fairy Tales

First of all, thank you so so _very _much for your reviews guys, they all seriously put such a goofy smile on my face that if I didn't fear to annoy the heck out of you I'd probably answer every single one of them privately because I'm _that_ lame – *fist pump*. I'd love to particularly thank _Mollie_ and _RedTailedHawkens_ (who legit made me ship a pairing from a show I have never even watched *cough* Ben/Sadie *cough*), because theirs are the kind of reviews that just really make me feel like what I'm doing here is actually being appreciated and understood, and that's just about the best feeling ever because it's the purpose of every single word I write, and it just makes me extremely happy and anxious to write more. So, _thank you_. From the bottom of my heart, I honestly mean it.

Also, I would really love for you to check out my Wade/Zoe videos, you can find them searching for _shamelessxjuliet_, which is my channel, on YouTube. I've been making a lot lately so I'd like to know what you think of them, I was even thinking of doing some kind of trailer or banner for this fanfiction but I don't know. Would you like that?

Anyway, that's it. Please keep in mind English is not my first language, so there are probably going to be a lot of errors along the way. Enjoy the reading, and don't forget to review. ;)

* * *

"It's good," George commented nodding unconvincingly towards the pasta in his plate. The macaronis were actually overcooked and tasted like a cartoon box, but the silence between him and Zoe had become so unbearable he was just seconds away from reciting all of the bloody Constitution's articles to her.

Zoe smiled shyly but said nothing, making George sigh.

"I'm sorry about today," he apologized tentatively, after some more minutes of silence. "To be truthful, I can't say I'm not a bit disappointed, even though I know I have no right to be, but I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, that was uncalled for. I'm sorry." He was looking worryingly over at Zoe, awaiting her response, while she was however conveniently looking down at her glass of red wine, tracing its edge with her right forefinger.

Just as George was about to give up on the conversation, Zoe finally answered. "It's alright," she sighed. "Well, _it's not_ really, but I get it." She finally raised her eyes to meet his. "I just-I had never thought I'd find myself in this situation, _with you and Wade_, and it's all really difficult for me to handle." She shook her head, smiling sadly at him. "I hate that I can't promise you anything, but George, you can't possibly doubt how I feel about you."

A bright smile made its way to George's lips. "I know... again, I'm sorry. I should have never doubted you or talked to you like that," he scoffed at himself, and he looked genuinely regretful and troubled about the whole situation. "God, I acted like such a prick!" realization dawned on him as he shook his head, his voice coming out as something between a moan and an exclamation.

Zoe giggled, and the sound warmed George's heart. It was honest and carefree, and most importantly, it meant they were okay.

"So," he cleared his throat after a few moments. "Now that we're all clear..." George trailed off, eying Zoe in a funny, suggestive manner. "The pasta," he paused, pointing towards his still full plate. "It's not that good." He confessed teasingly.

"_Hey_!" Zoe feigned to be offended, leaning over the table to playfully swat his arm. "It took me almost half an hour to heat that up!" she revealed in a proud tone, pursing her lips.

"Uuuh, sorry then, _ma'am_," he joked, holding up both of his hands.

Zoe shook her head, as her and George looked intensely at each other, wide smiles on both of their faces.

They fell in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, then George cleared his throat to get her attention again. "I got you something," he admitted coyly.

Zoe immediately blushed. "_George_," she whined. "You shouldn't have!"

He shook his head, closing his eyes for a second. "Nonsense. I wanted to," he paused to look over at her again. "And it's actually something I already had anyway."

"Mmh." She eyed him suspiciously as he rose from his chair and approached her at the other end of the table, offering her a hand she gladly took.

As soon as she stood up, they found themselves face to face, only a millimeter to separate their lips; George gently caressed down the side of her face with the back of his hand, from her temple to her chin, making her shudder, her heart beating uncontrollably against his chest. He smiled at her, but didn't try anything.

"Come on." He tugged at her hand and as he turned his head she heaved a sigh of relief, closing her eyes, too many thoughts racing through her clouded mind.

"Where are we going?" she managed to ask, still flustered.

They walked only a few steps, stopping at the door, where George had left his jacket. He left Zoe's hand and pulled a CD out of one of his pockets.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, peeking at it from over his shoulder.

George chuckled. "Just have a little patience, miss Hart. Do you have a stereo?" he asked, looking around the living room.

"Oh-sure! Wait a sec," Zoe hurried to her bedroom and George could hear her going through her drawers. After a minute, she reentered the living room, holding a tiny CD player in her hands, showing it to him. "Is this okay?"

George smiled, took the player from her hands, and quickly inserted the CD. He looked up at her one more time, his gaze so intense it left her breathless, and then pressed play.

_The Trouble with Girls_ by Scotty McCreery immediately flooded the entire house, and Zoe gasped – it was the song that had accompanied their first kiss.

She bit down on her bottom lip, her whole face heating up as George gently took one of her hands in his again and led her to the middle of the room. He put both his hands on her hips as she intertwined her arms around his neck and hugged him to her even closer, starting to gently sway to the rhythm of the song.

George sighed, resting his forehead against hers as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. Zoe was the first one to cave, as her sparkling brown eyes dropped down to his lips, leaning even more into him. George didn't have to think about it twice as he leaned down just a bit more to finally meet his lips with hers, his hands leaving her hips to gently cradle her face.

Zoe quickly lost herself in that moment. Right then and there, in George's arms like she had always wanted it to be, everything felt perfect. Everything felt like it was just meant to be. Because, she knew it, what could ever possibly go wrong with George Tucker by her side? He would have been the most perfect boyfriend to her, he would have cared and provided for her like no one else ever had before. It was exactly what she wanted.

Sighing into the kiss, she let him deepen it, their tongues battling for dominance, furiously but slowly at the same time. Kissing George felt so normal, like she had been doing that for her whole life. A part of her she was quick to shove to the bottom of her mind told her that maybe kisses weren't supposed to feel that way, that normal and _right_ weren't exactly the same thing. But she couldn't let herself over-analyze it in that moment.

It was George to break away from the kiss first, gently threading his fingers through her dark hair. In the meantime, their song had ended. "I should go now," he whispered.

Zoe looked at him, disappointment clear on her face.

He smiled sadly. "I don't _want_ to go. But I don't want you to do anything you're not ready for either," he explained. "If we're ever going to _be_ together, I want it to be because we both really want it, I want to be the only one you'll want that way."

She sighed dejectedly, but nodded – she knew he was right. He was too much of a gentleman to try anything on her that night, when he knew just how confused she was, he would have never taken advantage of it like that, and Wade had been _so_ wrong thinking that about him earlier that day, making her doubt herself and George too. Taking advantage of a situation was something _Wade_-like, not George-like.

She immediately felt guilty for thinking that, but it was the truth. Sure, Wade was trying to change and better himself, but people just didn't achieve that overnight, she had to remind herself that the old Wade was still there somewhere, maybe well hidden under a pile of plans for the future and good intentions, but he was there nonetheless, and it scared her like hell.

George's voice brought her back to reality. "So... I'm going."

"Oh, yeah. Goodnight George."

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. "Goodnight Zoe."

George closed the door behind him, leaving Zoe alone in the dim light of her carriage house, staring blankly at the spot he had occupied just until a few moments before, there at the entrance. She didn't like how awfully silent the house was, and how cold it felt.

The clock struck eleven, and she laughed bitterly to herself. Only twenty-four hours ago, even if she had thought otherwise, her life was still so simple. She wanted to go back to when she had first arrived to Bluebell, back when there was nothing or nobody she cared about apart from herself and her career. She just wanted that simple life back. She was willing to beg for it, _plead_ for it. _Anything_ to not feel all that pain threatening to break her heart in half anymore.

Because it dawned on her then, in the first real moment on her own she had had all day. With no Wade, no George, no Lavon, and no Addy. Only with herself. Only Zoe. Zoe, breaking into tears, sobs racking her fragile body. Zoe, weak, letting herself go, not having to hide her emotions anymore. _Finally_, she had realized. No matter who she was going to choose, she would not only have hurt the other, but herself as well in the process. Because she just wasn't ready to give up on _either_ of them for good, she needed them both in her life way too much to lose them.

And she hated herself for having become so dependent not only on one, but _two_ people, but she was already in far too deep to get out of it unscathed. All she could do was wishing for things to turn out for the better, and soon. But then again, wishes are only granted in fairy tales, and like Lavon had told her that day – life ain't one.


	6. Strength Comes From an Indomitable Will

Hey there,

after reading _daisesndaffidols_' review on my latest chapter, I really feel like I should explain something. When Zoe promised Wade nothing would have happened between her and George, she meant, to be quite blunt, that they weren't going to have sex, and Wade very well knew that. I would have never made her promise not to kiss him because I don't think that would have been fair, since she has already kissed Wade twice and has been a lot more couple-y with him that she has with George. In my opinion, at least. I understand it can be unpleasant for you to read about George and Zoe together, but I want this story to be as realistic as possible, and I also think that there have to be some George/Zoe moments, to underline how the right man for Zoe is actually Wade even if she can't see that yet. But I've started dropping hints already and I've got tons of ideas for this story, so I hope you're liking it so far.

Also, after a nice chat with _RedTailedHawkens_ I decided to try and make the dialogues more southern-like (something that has been bugging me for a long time now), and I found some nice sites with suggestions and stuff, but please tell me if anything sounds too silly or not proper.

Anyway, I'm really happy of how this chapter turned out, it's the longest one so far and I had actually meant for it to be a bit longer than it already is, but I felt like this ending fit better. I really hope you'll enjoy the reading and please keep the reviews coming (it would really mean a lot to me to hit the fifty reviews)! :)

* * *

Zoe woke up with a massive headache, tangled in her cream-colored sheets.

Her blinds were pulled down, but some rays of light still were able to sneak into her room, the warmness of the hot Bluebell's sun nice on her skin.

She sighed, bringing a hand to her sweaty forehead to push back some strands of her dark, wavy hair that had fallen down over her face.

She hadn't got much sleep that night, but it wasn't like she had expected to anyway. Her mind kept wandering, weighing up her various possibilities, conjuring up future moments that were probably never going to happen. Saying that she was confused was probably the understatement of the year, and she hated that feeling of uncertainty and dread she was trying with all her might to ignore but that kept gnawing at her more and more, second after second.

She wasn't stupid. She was well aware that it always came a moment in someone's life when you were faced with a though, possibly life-altering, decision, she just never quite thought it would have actually happened to her. Not so soon anyway. Not when she wasn't ready yet. She was used to know exactly what she wanted, to have her path all ready in front of her, set and sealed. Not knowing what to do, and even more the fear of making the wrong decision, was a feeling Zoe Hart was completely new at, and as much as she hated to admit it, especially to herself, she had no idea how to handle that.

Pulling at the sheets, she sighed once more, resting her head on her pillow and looking up at the ceiling. Laying down on that bed brought back so many memories. All those memories she was trying so hard not to think about.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to relive that night with Wade. It seemed impossible to think that it had been just a little over twenty-four hours ago – how did her life get so messy so suddenly? And more importantly, why had she _let_ it?

Remembering the feeling of Wade's strong, protective arms around her was doing nothing to help her situation. Or maybe it was, since a genuine, bright smile made its way to Zoe's lips for the first time in hours without her even realizing. He had been so tender and gentle with her that night, he had been so much more than she had expected him to be, and certainly a whole lot more than she could have ever asked for. Had she had the time to, she would have lectured herself about almost risking to let Wade just pass her by in a blur. All the silly bickering, for how funny and exciting it was, almost clouded her better judgment, making her deny Wade the chance he so much deserved. He had _always_ been there for her, since she had first arrived in Bluebell, and all that time, she had taken him for granted. She had almost missed out on him.

If only it were that easy though. Because, obviously, there was still George in the picture, and no matter how hard or how many times Lavon or anybody else could try to convince her otherwise, she was sure that what she was feeling towards him wasn't just something she had made up in her mind. She knew he wasn't perfect, she knew he was no prince charming, she knew he was _real_. He was real, a real opportunity, a real chance. He was _there_. She wasn't going to say they didn't have their bad moments, and yes he had hurt her more than he could probably imagine, but he too, even if just a friend, had always been there for her. He had always treated her with respect, understood her and her quirky ways, he had a good heart and was a good man. She needed someone like him in her life.

Her headache was only getting worse, and she massaged her temples slowly, her eyes still closed. She was way too worked up to fall asleep again, even if the alarm clock on her bedside table indicated that it was only a quarter after eight, way too early to be up on a day when she was only on call until two in the afternoon. Not that she expected anyone to show up at the practice or look for her that day either.

She briefly wondered if Brick had taken another day off, and if she hadn't had enough to worry about already, she would have been much preoccupied about her surely imminent encounter with him. And Lemon. _Oh God_.

She ducked her head under the sheets, moaning. She couldn't believe what she had gotten herself into, and thinking about all the other consequences as well made the situation, which was bad enough as it was already, look even worse. No matter how much she tried, every little thing she would start to think about always ended up reminding her of the complicated and uncomfortable position she was in. There was no escape, no way out.

Not that she wanted to run away from it. _No_, Zoe Hart did not run from things. She never did, and would never do. But, she could have definitely used a little distraction. There was no chance of her making any somewhat lucid decision otherwise. She needed to detach herself from it all for a while first, trying to observe it as an outsider to understand which one was the better option, the safer road. It shouldn't have been that hard for her, she was, or wanted to be anyway, a surgeon after all. And that was exactly what surgeons did, wasn't it? They distanced themselves from anyone and anything, because they were trusted to take which would have been the best decision in the long run. They were trusted to be objective. They were trusted to identify the core of a problem and just chip it off. There, a resolute move of their hand and it was done. All gone. Removed. That was what she needed in that moment. To be a surgeon again.

* * *

A knock on the door woke her up again a few hours later, after she had somehow managed to fall asleep again and get some more much deserved rest.

She stirred, yawning. Whoever was waiting outside her carriage house was obviously very impatient, because some moments later she heard the cracking of the door opening and then footsteps approaching.

If that hadn't been Bluebell, it would have been the appropriate moment to go look for her long forgotten baseball bat, left to collect dust in a corner of her wardrobe, or to quickly retrieve her pepper spray from her purse at the feet of the bed. But _it was_ Bluebell, it was safety rolled up into one, unknown, annoying, little town, and there was no need for any of that.

Recognizing Lavon's tall and broad figure was however very relieving, even more so as she noticed the two large cups of steaming coffee he was holding.

"Life savior!" Zoe exclaimed, clapping her hands together and adjusting herself on the bed so she could sit with her legs crossed.

Lavon chuckled. It was a nice sound, mostly because it was natural and normal, something she had heard so many times and grew accustomed to, and that was therefore appeasing and more than welcome, then more than ever. "Top o' the mornin' to ya!"

She eyed him skeptically, snatching one of the coffee-filled mugs from his hands as soon as he was close enough. She sipped it slowly and appreciatively, she had forgone coffee, or any type of breakfast for that matter, the previous morning, too much on her mind to actually eat anything Lavon had prepared for her.

"Thank you."

Lavon nodded, taking a sip from his own cup and sitting down on the bed next to her. "Rose called," he told her, and her eyes shot up to his almost apologetically. But he wasn't the one she should be apologizing to. "She's worried about ya."

Zoe sighed. "_I know_, I just had a lot on my mind," she paused. "And I'm also kind of trying to avoid everyone." Her voice was so timid and unsure it almost came out as a question.

"Like I hadn't noticed," he rolled his eyes, and she smacked him playfully on the forearm. "But there's no need to avoid Rose, ya know." He pointed out, raising his eyebrows at her.

"_I know_." She repeated. "I just-" she huffed, nervously running a hand through her messy hair. "I'll call her."

Lavon hummed his approval, and silence encompassed them for a couple of minutes, until he cleared his throat sort of awkwardly. "Heard of your hot date last night?"

Zoe glared at him, fidgeting with the cup in her hands. "Nothing happened." She clarified quickly, _too_ quickly.

"Which most likely means something did." Zoe opened her mouth to retort, but Lavon stopped her right away, raising his right forefinger in front of her. "Hey there, I'm not here to judge anybody's business."

She nodded, and that was enough of an answer for both of them.

"Just, try and not hurt Wade, 'lright? He can be stubborn as a mule, but he's a good guy and he's got a good heart."

"Lavon, I don't want anybody to get hurt, but it's not that easy."

The mayor simply shrugged, sipping his coffee. He had already told her where he stood and what he thought the day earlier, and he knew there was no point in repeating himself, but he hated to see two of his best friends in such a hard place.

"I just miss how it used to be," he admitted all of a sudden, his tone somber and serious. "The banter, it made for a nice start of the day."

Zoe smiled sadly and sighed. "I miss how it used to be too."

* * *

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Zoe had called Rose and made plans to have a nice Chinese take-out dinner at her place that evening. She was in an awful need of a girls' night, of light-hearted and silly conversations until the sun went down. She wasn't sure how much Rose knew of what was going on, and she wasn't sure how much she wanted to share, knowing well enough she would have picked Wade's side as well. Zoe didn't want to end up taking a decision she wasn't sure of, choosing Wade because that seemed what everyone wanted her to do, or choosing George because that seemed what everyone _didn't_ want her to do.

Surprisingly enough, she had successfully managed to avoid both boys that morning. They had seemed to understand she needed time, _alone_ time, but while a part of her was grateful for that, the other part felt terribly insecure, and wondered if maybe, they had just decided she wasn't worth all that effort in the first place.

Her doubts all vanished when, at four in the afternoon on the dot, her phone rang, breaking the silence of the empty, quiet practice.

She smiled as soon as she read who the incoming caller was. _Wade_.

As she picked up, she couldn't help but wonder if he had just been sitting there waiting for the right time to call her. Four on the dot, right a second after the hour hand of the grandfather clock in her office changed its position, seemed an awfully precise time to call.

"Hey," she spoke softly into the receiver.

His answer came low and breathless, and she could just see him grinning into his phone. "Hey you."

"How are you?" she asked, wanting to mentally smack herself in the forehead for being so trivial the second after she had finished her sentence. But truth to be told, Wade's voice sent chills down her back and made her feel like she had never felt before in her entire life, all silly and giddy. Which meant she just hadn't been able to come up with anything more intelligent to say than that.

Luckily, he laughed. "I'm all good, Doc. You could always come check for yourself though." He offered, wanting to sound as casual as possible. Still, the insecurity in his voice was clear.

Zoe bit down on her bottom lip, she wanted to say yes _so_ much, but she knew she couldn't. She needed that day for herself. And Rose. But mostly for herself, as egoistical as that sounded.

"I'm sorry Wade, I can't today."

"_Oh_. Oh, alright." His voice dropped, just as his heart in his chest did. "That's fine, I s'ppose," he added after a moment, not even really trying to hide his disappointment. "Are you-"

Zoe interrupted him right away. She knew he was about to ask about George. "_No_. I'm just hanging out with Rose."

She heard Wade sighing on the other end of the line, not quite sure if it was a sigh of relief, or just of annoyance.

"Guess we'll talk tomorrow, then?" he asked, sounding a lot more cheerful, which eased Zoe's nerves a bit.

She nodded, mostly to herself since Wade couldn't see her. "That sounds perfect."

"Bye, Doc."

"Bye Wade," she breathed into the phone, before finally hanging up.

Returning to her papers behind the desk, she felt flustered and a bit light-headed, which in consequence made her feel very stupid. She thought she had done a good job in convincing herself to at least try and keep her emotions a bit more under control that morning, but obviously she had thought wrong. She wasn't supposed to rely on someone else that much, she was supposed to be the one having everything under check, and she was going to make sure of that from that moment on. No more acting so teenage-like, because, so what if what Wade and George did or said affected her so much? She had come to terms by then with the fact that they were her weaknesses somehow, but she had no intention whatsoever to retire to weakness, she had to learn to control something she knew she had plenty of and that came from her indomitable will – her strength.


End file.
